This is the first time this large water company has reported anything, and it's a very happy face story. Comments please? (Especially from anyone who knows anything about water systems.) Thanks.

Sorry it's not hot-linked. Still haven't gotten the hang of that.

http://detnews.com/1999/technology/9902/16/02160125.htm

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), February 17, 1999

Answers

From the article, my nomination for Sheeple of the Year Award:

Connie Striker, 28, of Birmingham said she has more important things to worry about than whether the water in her apartment will work Jan. 1, 2000.

"I'm sure the experts are looking at a solution and I trust them," said Striker, who manages an art supply store. "If worse comes to worse, I can use rainwater or get some from a nearby stream."

********

Connie combines all the key traits the judges look for in determining the Sheeple of the Year Award--stupidity, selfishness, blind faith in "the system," with a touch of arrogance thrown in.

-- rick blaine (y2kazoo@hotmail.com), February 17, 1999.

Netscape and M/S IE both allow you to look at the source code for any HTML page you're looking at. In Netscape, [View][Document Source]. In M/S IE, [View][Source].

Find a post here that shows a hot link, and have a look. You'll see the tags that were used to make the link. Use those tags, replacing the URL used there with the URL you want to post as a hot link.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), February 17, 1999.

Leaving aside all the fluff, this is what stands out:

"[The water supply] should not be disrupted by the Y2K computer bug. . .It looks like everything will be fine, . . ."

The words "should not be" and "looks like" are not exactly confident statements, are they?

The silly woman who said, "I'm sure the experts are looking at a solution and I trust them," deserves to go thirsty.

Now here's the juicy part of the story: ". . . The unknown, Gorden said, is the impact of embedded computer chips. [Explanation of chips and how they work.] Gorden said his department will be Y2K-compliant by August, although employees still will search for devices that use embedded chips." Wait! The guy says "will be" compliant but they're still going to search for chips? Seems to me as long as there are chips out there, the water system isn't compliant.

Not such a happy-face story after all.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), February 17, 1999.

OK. I'm gonna try my first "hotlink." Be afraid. Be very afraid. Here goes: Link to Water System's going to be O.K. story

Apologies if this does not work. Computers often give me brain cramps, as does often life in general.

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), February 17, 1999.

It worked! Now I'm ready to fix embedded chips! :)

Thanks Tom. To quote my Irish ancestors: "May you arrive in heaven before the devil knows you're dead"

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), February 17, 1999.

"Will be ready by August"

That's very, very late. There is a little slip time, but not enough. My gut feel is that "August" represents "beginning to test", and "not all tests completed."

The same "poll the public" propaganda symptom: in a story, ask people what they think will happen, rather than analyze the technical questions involved. Write it like a political story, where polls reflect feelings and opinions.

This is a technical problem -> the water system will work or fail regardless of what people like "think" will happen.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), February 17, 1999.

FM,

Used your hotlink, it works!

Boy, I wouldn't bet my life on the statements made, or not made, in that article.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 17, 1999.